First Day Call Hiring a Virtual Assistant

 

In this video, I am going to be showing you the first day of me hiring two assistants. I am going to be showing you what my Skype calls with them look like. Now, I adjusted the process in hiring these people and my new process is a little bit better. But, let me show you what I used to do. Currently, what I do now is I still have the Skype call but it is a little bit more automated. So, for your viewing pleasure, here are the videos. Let me know what you think in the Comments section down below and if you are enjoying this video, make sure you do not forget to Subscribe.

Transcript of Skype call with Mary:

Travis:  Let’s get started.

Mary:    Oh, okay. I’ will turn on my camera.

Travis: Okay.

Mary:    Sorry. I am at my parent’s house.

Travis: Okay. So, are you on a laptop?

Mary:    Yeah.

Travis:  You usually use a desktop, though, right?

Mary:    Yeah.

Travis: Are you connecting Dropbox to the laptop or to the desktop?

Mary:    I have a laptop for the Dropbox.

Travis: Okay. You might want to connect the Dropbox to the desktop because you are going to be doing a lot of video editing and stuff and it might be easier doing it on a desktop than on a laptop.

Mary:    Okay. All right. Okay.

Travis:  How big is – Do you pay for Dropbox or do you have the free version?

Mary:    I do have the paid version.

Travis:  Oh, you have the premium version.

Mary:    Yeah.

Travis: Oh. We will figure it out. Because the other thing is, I wonder if you could have two Dropboxes? I know you can definitely have two accounts, like two different window accounts or whatever and like maybe like a work account and a fun account. Then they can have the fun Dropbox be wherever it is and the work Dropbox needs to be in the “D” drive, right?

Mary:    Yeah.

Travis:  Okay. So, how far did you get? On the first day orientation, did you get?

Mary:    I was able to watch all of the videos. Although, of course, I am kind of interested in some of the videos just because I have not seen it, you know, and tried it myself. But –

Travis:  So, do you think you would be able to create this “D” drive partition, or not?

Mary:    Onto this computer, no. But, I have my desktop which already has one.

Travis:  Okay. And you say you have not downloaded Dropbox yet, then?

Mary:    I did on a (inaudible) trying to sync it to the drive, syncing it to the computer already and hid, I am so – But, you know, I still want your half and pop up. I am going to (inaudible) out once backups are right.

Travis:  So, what about the laptop? Did you download to the laptop?

Mary:    Yeah.

Travis:  And, you watched the videos. All right. So, let’s talk here. So, do you have access to the video spreadsheet, now?

Mary:    Yes, I do.

Travis:  Perfect. Okay. So Serene was one of my VAs that is working for me. She is having some health issues right now, so I am going to have you take over her tasks, her daily tasks on this, you name it. How is your name –  or what is your first name.

Mary:    My first name is Mary.

Travis:  Okay.

Mary:    But everybody calls me Miss Halsey. That’s –

Travis:  That is a good nickname to have.

So, one of the first big tasks I am going to give you – it is not really that big a thing – is to get the Pinterest pins ready and scheduled. So, there is a video in Dropbox – let me see what it is called. So, I will have this scheduled out as far ahead of time as you want. Maybe two to three weeks even. Let me find it. So, it is called Schedule Pinterest Color Pins. I will put it in my Dropbox. I suggest you get at least a week or two out ahead. The way we are going to do this – I think I might have said it differently in my video but, there’s this – Watch the video. Tell me if it makes sense. I am going to ”Like” the purple but in the VA spreadsheet there is the Pinterest Pins Schedule looking as you know that app. All right.

So, basically what I am going to have you do is – it rotates – so tomorrow, Tuesday. Well, actually we are not doing it this way anymore. Okay. Let me hide this first – this part. That is interesting. So, basically every day we want four pins to post. So, yeah. I do not think we need this anymore. I am going to hide this top part. So, if you see Column H –

Mary:    Um-hum.

Travis:  Anything that does not have an X, just start working your way down so this next one, the orange dance pants,  this one is –

Mary:    Um-hum.

Travis:  This one is going to need to get posted. The video explains how to do it. So, every day we should have four posted. So schedule this one, these two and this one for tomorrow. The next four empty ones basically –

Mary:    I see a movie.

Travis:  What is that?

Mary:    I see a movie Jazz Band.

Travis:  Yeah. Up to and including maybe Jazz Band.

Mary:    Okay.

Travis:  Also, though here is another very important thing is – let me call it a new link or video link. So all the colors that you do not post or pin – If you go to our Pinterest board which is here –

Mary:    Um-hum.

Travis:  All right. If you scroll down to the bottom, you will see boards with pins like All Black Everything, Brown Sugar and Spice, Out of the Blue, Dancing in Ivory, Red as a Rose. You see those. So, let’s click on Red as a Rose, just as an example. So, any time you do not have one of our products being “pinned” – like the red booty shorts is obviously our product, right? We want to have a color inspired pin. So, Red as a Rose is something that has to do with red. Each day, you are going to post four of our Pinterest pins from the VA spreadsheet but then also for all of the colors that you do not pin one of our products, pin something natural and you know, like that something like this red feather hair thing or whatever.

Mary:    Okay. Looks like cherries.

Travis:  Yeah, yeah. So, that will be one of your first tasks. So, try and get one or two weeks ahead on this. I will take a look tomorrow and I will let you know if anything needs to be fixed.

Then there is this – Respond to Endurapeak emails.

Mary:    Let me see it.

Travis:  All right. So, then there is this result of this video in the Dropbox. That is the title of it. So, one of your other daily tasks is to respond to the Endurapeak emails. I have not checked the emails in a while. I am not sure if there are any. So, check that out. See if there are any.

So, I am just looking. Some of your other tasks on row – uh, yeah row 40 of the tasks like the red, the main task, yeah. You are right there. I think you see it. Follow and comment on other Pinterest pins to try to get more followers for us. I did not make an idea for that yet. I do not think – let me see if I did.

(Background music during pause in conversation.)

No, I did not. Okay. So, what you are going to do for that one and I am going to have you check in the VA handbook. I think I sent you a link to the VA handbook or it is in the day one orientation. So, for that, go to this link really quick. Do you see where it says “92 pins” and then underneath it says 10.5k followers and what you are going to do is for each person where it says follow, go to their board or go click on their profile. Well, this person for me at least, does not have anything but if they have pins up, “Like” their pins and comment on them.

Do you use Pinterest at all?

Mary:    Yes.

Travis:  Okay. So “Like” their pins, comment on them.

The goal of this is to basically “Like” and then follow them. We are going to “Like” their pins and are going to show interest in them. The hope is that in exchange, hey will come and follow us and all of that kind of stuff.

Does that make sense?

Mary:    I guess, yeah.

Travis:  Oh, cool.

So spend probably 30 minutes a day or so doing this. If you run out of tasks, go ahead and spend more time on this. But for now, let’s only – let’s try to spend about 40 minutes a day.

There is also this check inventory task. Let me see where that is. The video is called, just called Checking Inventory. Watch that. See if it makes sense and I will send you an example.

So this is what it should –

What is that?

Mary:    What about – (Inaudible).

Travis:  No, so you will just do a daily email basically. I am going to send you what it should look like right now.

Let me know when you get that email.

Mary:    Okay.

Travis:  So, that is what it should look like. Basically, that needs to be checked after12 midnight out time. That way we have the full day’s worth of sales. But send it back before 8 am as well. So that gives you like 8 hours to do that. Hopefully, that should be okay within your time range but basically, do not work on checking it until two hours from now, whatever time that is in your time zone. But, make sure you send it to us before 8 am. Essentially, this is just checking what items we have in stock. That way we are not making things that we already have in stock.

Mary:    Do I need access to any file?

Travis:  Yes. So, you have LastPass set up, right?

Mary:    Yeah.

Travis:  All right. So, is it on this computer or –

Mary:    Yes. It is a habit.

Travis:  Okay. So you are going to have to log in for a lot of this stuff. So, log out of your email and if you want you can give yourself access to all of this stuff.

Mary:    Um-hum.

Travis:  Yeah. Let’s do it this way first up. So, go ahead and log out of gmail and then log back in as Travis Bailar. You should be able to do that using LastPass.

Mary:    Okay

Travis:  But, let’s just check together and make sure everything is working.

Mary:    All right.

Travis:  Okay. So, you are going to add – there’s a video that explains how to do it. Basically,

Mary:    Um. Okay.

Travis:  So, you can actually do both – just do it together really quickly because I do not think it says in the video type in inventory. Actually, can you share your screen? To do that, you click the little plus button.

(Mary’s screen shows)

All right. Open a new tab and type in Google Docs. Let’s just make it easy.

Let’s just make it easy. Click on the third line in the upper left-hand corner and then try clicking just Google docs the top. I think we need to get into the Google Drive actually. Two of that picture (inaudible) drive at the bit that might work. Yeah. That will work it a little.

(Pause during search.)

So, Bdancewear – click on the Bdancewear folder. Then scroll down a little bit. There should be one called Inventory Spreadsheet. So, that is what you will use and the video explains in depth how to do it.

Mary:    (Inaudible.)

Travis:  Cool. All right. So, I think that is probably enough for the first day. The other thing is do you have Premiere Pro?

Mary:    I am actively looking for a copy.

Travis:  Okay

Mary:    Like a message –

Travis:  Okay. Well there is one in Dropbox if you need it.

Mary:    I like –

Travis:  Um. Where is it?

Mary:    Audition is also pretty (inaudible).

Travis:  Oh. I have a copy somewhere. I will get it to you. But, it is in the Dropbox in our new tasks. You are probably going to have to wait till it syncs through because it is too big of a file to download from the website –

Mary:    Okay.

Travis:  So it might take a little while.

How are you at Premiere Pro? Are you good at Premiere Pro? I forget.

Mary:    Um – I am basic. I do not have to do too much production.

Travis:  Okay.

Mary:    (Inaudible.)

Travis:  Did you tell me – I think you sent me a link to a video. You did, right?

Mary:    Oh. No, I –

Travis:  Why don’t you – Never mind –

Mary:    Okay. Maybe not –

Travis:  All right. So, let’s start these. Hopefully, that is enough for your first day. If you run out of tasks, let me know and I will try to get you more tasks. But, you can always spend extra time on Pinterest and what else – there is this “Collect Emails for Endurapeak.” There is a video somewhere. I think if you just search the Dropbox you will find it. But, –

Mary:    Okay.

Travis:  The rest of the stuff we can talk about tomorrow. Do you have any questions for me before we end the call?

Mary:    I think most get – I think I will have some. Sure, probably –

Travis:  I am going – This is just so you know and I am going to put this in the Dropbox as well under New Task, New Videos and I will just call it Day One – Three. Okay.

Mary:    Okay.

Travis:  So, if you need to rewatch it and you have any questions, you will find it in the Dropbox.

So, thank you. Have a good day.

Mary:    Thank you. Have a good night.

Transcript of Skype call with Adrian:

Travis:  All right.

Hi. So welcome to the first day orientation.

Let’s get started.

So, first thing, I sent you a link to the page. I believe where it should have let some of the things you are going to of some of the things you are going to do. So, you first big tasks are going to be o download Dropbox. That is one. Okay. Actually, create a “D” drive partition. Do you know how to create a partition?

Adrian  Yes, sir. I know how.

Travis:  Okay.

Adrian  Yeah.

Travis:  So, create a “D” drive partition. Try to make it as big as possible. Like I said on the form, 400 gigabytes is ideal. But, if you cannot make it that big, just make it as big as you can because we are going to use that. Additionally, I have my Dropbox on “D” drive and if you also have your Dropbox on “D” drive, it just makes it easier to share files and if we do video editing and things like that, it just makes life a lot easier, trust me. So, that is the first step creating that “D” drive partition. Then download Dropbox. I gave you the user name so just send e a message and I will give you the password as well. I just wanted to hide it since we are recording this conversation for now anyways. Anyway, let’s see.

What else to do. It has the list pretty much then after that. I want you to download LastPass and create an account there. I have a video that I am currently making that is going to describe how I am going to give you. Tasks 0n the VA spreadsheet which – you know what, I will give you – I will give you the access to it right now. Give me a second.

So, in the meantime – well, the Dropbox – syncing it is going to take a little time but I don’t think – It will probably take a few days you are going to just go to Dropbox and you can download files one by one.

Does that kind of make sense?

Adrian  Yes, sir. I have used Dropbox before.

Travis:  Okay. Do you know what I am going to do? I am going to add to the last number 4 go to Dropbox and go to – let me just put it up, go t0 videos and launch all respect. All right. Yeah. So let’s start with that so start with creating the “D” drive partition, download Dropbox, also download LastPass and I will give you the Dropbox password. I will just email it to you actually. Yeah. I will email it to you and go through this list.

I am going to be online for another hour or two at least. So, start working on those tasks. When you get everything completed or if you have any questions, just Skype with me. Meantime, let’s get started.

So your first task I have is on the VA spreadsheet which I will give you access to right now. Let me share it with you, Adrian, and I made a video explaining this entire thing so that is also going to be one of your first tasks is watching that.

In that video which I actually made for my YouTube Channel is not talking to you. It is talking to the general audience but obviously it is for you as well. So, yeah. Let’s get started with this stuff and as you have questions, I will be on Skype. Let me know and let’s plan on talking again in two hours at the most or in an hour and a half.

Adrian  Yes. There should I will look at the first and if I have any questions, I will message you.

Travis:  Cool.

As you are doing this as part of the first day orientation – Any kind of questions you have like, let’s make this as streamlined as possible. So that future VAs will not have to deal with all of these kinds of questions that you have or whatever. So, yeah, just edit this to make it make more sense as you need to, but let’s start there and Skype me as you have questions. Okay?

Adrian  Yes.  Understood.

Travis: Cool. All right. I will talk to you in a little bit.